Syria removed over 92 percent of its chemical stockpile, said head of the OPCW-UN task force as the deadline to remove the toxic chemicals from the country torn by civil war passed on Sunday. The complete weapons destruction deadline is set for June 30.

Over 92 percent of Syria's chemical stockpile has been removed
from the country, Sigrid Kaag head of the combined Organization
for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons-UN task team told a news
conference at the Damascus-based Four Seasons Hotel on Sunday.

"(Also) a total of 18 removal operations have been carried
out ...and always with due regard for the environment and public
safety," she added.

In addition to the removal, Damascus has destroyed buildings,
equipment, empty mustard gas containers, and decontaminated other
containers at several chemical weapons storage and production
sites.

“We are talking basically of the remaining seven and a half,
eight percent of chemicals weapons material that currently still
in country in one particular site. Six and a half, roughly, needs
to be removed, a small percentage is to be destroyed regardless
in country that can be done," she said.

The watchdog added that the Syrian government has been very
cooperative after joining the Chemical Weapons Convention,
however it needs to "acquit itself of its commitments"
and ensure the remaining materials are eradicated by the end of
the month.

“It's important that the last push is made toward full
completion,'' Kaag said.

Damascus pledged to remove all chemicals by April 13, except for
those in areas “that are presently inaccessible,” by an
April-27 deadline, according to the OPCW. So far the deadlines
have not been met, because of the unstable situation inside the
country.

Kaag said on Sunday that the joint OPCW-UN mission has been
receiving information from Damascus about attacks on convoys
transferring weapons, Syrian SANA news agency reported.

“Syria is a country at war. The security situation is
volatile, precarious and it shifts all the time,” Kagg told
RT adding that security remains always a challenge and the
situation should be addressed “to avoid the risk of any of
the chemical weapons materials falling in the wrong hands”.

Kaag said the mission has not yet been given access to 12
chemical weapons production facilities. These facilities are
under review by the OPCW Executive Council regarding the
modalities for their destruction.

In March Russia urged the provision of security of chemical
weapons transportation pointing to the March 9 attack on the port
at Latakia. The chemicals are being transported there and loaded
onto Norwegian and Danish ships for transport to the Italian port
Gioia Tauro. There the weapons will be transferred to a ship and
turned into low-toxicity effluent.

“Three rockets were fired towards the ships [transporting the
weapons]” in a “purposeful act of sabotage” that
constitutes a “flagrant violation” of UN regulations, said a
statement from the Russian foreign ministry.

In February, Damascus said there were two attempted attacks on
convoys with chemical weapons. The OPCW inspectors have also been
fired upon by snipers in autumn of 2013. Mortar bombs landed near
their hotel in Damascus, however it was not clear whether they
had been targeted.

Moscow stressed the Syrian government cannot take all
responsibility for chemical weapons removal.

Syria agreed to the destruction of its chemical weapons through a
US-Russia brokered deal in September. The decision was sparked by
a deadly sarin gas attack in August 21 near Damascus that killed
hundreds of people. The West blamed President Bashar Assad forces
for it, while Damascus accused the rebels.

Syria has declared around 700 tons of the most-dangerous
chemicals, 500 tons of less-dangerous precursor chemicals and 122
tons of isopropanol used in sarin gas production. The deadline
for the mission’s completion is June 30. Kaag told reporters in
Damascus on Sunday that the UN hoped Syria would meet it.